Bethel University football has grabbed up another Golden Tornado.
School Communications Director Mike Hutchens said linebacker Dayton Buckley, who led Union City in tackles his senior season, will join Twister teammate Andre Small as a Wildcats signee.
Buckley played linebacker for the first time in his final season, and recorded 72 total tackles.
His top individual highlight came when he made 15 total tackles, ten of those solos, in the Tornadoes’ first win of the season against Decatur County Riverside.
During his Union City playing days, which was spent along the defensive and offensive lines, Buckley was credited with 153 stops, including 14 for lost yardage.
The sting of a disappointing (3-7) senior year, coupled with his “love for the game,” were significant factors in Buckley wanting to extend his playing career to the next level.
“That’s not the way I wanted to go out,” he said. “I felt like I could’ve done better. We all could have. I had some highs, like the game against Riverside, but I also had some games where my numbers were not up to my level of expectations. I’ll get the opportunity now to play the game I love against grown men and see how I stack up.”
Buckley said he visited Georgia State and drew interest from other schools.
He cited the distance to Bethel’s McKenzie campus as not too close, but also not too far away, as instrumental in his decision.
“I have a cousin there (T.J. Hart), and we’ve talked about it being a really good NAIA school and one that has a lot of guys who are good players that just flew under the radar when it came time to be recruited,” he continued. “I’ve played against some of those guys in high school, and I’m looking forward to seeing how I measure up against them now.”
(photo: Mike Hutchens – School Communications Director)
